By Steve M. Cohen bio Imagine an employee who is consistently late to work. The excuses abound—car trouble, overslept, lost track of time answering email, planned on staying later—you've probably heard them all. The manager warns the employee and for a week it improves. The next week, however, the employee is slipping again and is warned yet again. This game … [Read more...] about Due process: if it’s not written, it didn’t happen
Termination
How managers can avoid tripping on due process safety net
By Steve M. Cohen bio For many, spring is baseball or soccer season, a time to start getting out and enjoying life. But in your workplace, you will also find team sports that can impact your bottom line or organizational effectiveness. If someone in your organization is not playing ball the way they should, it's also a three-strike situation (or a red card, if you … [Read more...] about How managers can avoid tripping on due process safety net
With the right effort, even difficult employee issues can be solved
By Steve M. Cohen bio An employee who had been terminated from one of my client organizations later called the whistleblower/action hotline. She was using the hotline in an attempt to retrieve her job or, at least, to vent her anger and frustration at the situation. I listened and discovered that she had been terminated for frequent violations of the office dress … [Read more...] about With the right effort, even difficult employee issues can be solved
5 HR issues to review and keep on your radar
A medical office manager has a wide range of responsibilities, which can make it difficult to keep every potential staff-related issue top of mind. Nevertheless, there are five HR issues about which you should remain vigilant. 1 Discrimination Here are various types of discrimination, as identified and defined by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Note: … [Read more...] about 5 HR issues to review and keep on your radar
Your office’s social media policy: dangerous if not done right
By Paul Edwards bio Many medical practices don't realize their social media policy is a crisis waiting to happen. In three recent, real-life cases, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found employers' actions to be unlawful when they disciplined or terminated employees who did the following: Employee A: Used a social media account to accuse the … [Read more...] about Your office’s social media policy: dangerous if not done right
Protect yourself legally and physically when you fire a staffer
Besides being unpleasant, firing a staffer is dangerous. There are two concerns, says employment law attorney Denise I. Murphy of Rubin and Rudman in Boston. Of first importance is the physical safety of the manager and everybody else in the office. Of second importance is legal safety. The manager has to minimize the risk of a claim of wrongful termination, discrimination, … [Read more...] about Protect yourself legally and physically when you fire a staffer
Handling an “office sniper”
By Steve M. Cohen bio How do you stop the staff member who is rude and undermining? This is a surprisingly widespread problem with several variations. It's important that managers are prepared to deal with it, including cases where the opposition is not so obvious. One example involves an "office sniper." Snipers stay in hiding. They criticize the manager in a … [Read more...] about Handling an “office sniper”
Grief in termination is real
By Steve M. Cohen bio Unfortunately, you sometimes have to terminate someone. It's also unfortunate that this sometimes doesn't go well. That results in significant stress and related problems on both sides. Fortunately, an awareness of the emotional impact of termination can help you work with the soon-to-be terminated employee to make parting, and any … [Read more...] about Grief in termination is real
When to call an HR expert for help
As a medical office manager, you typically handle day-to-day human resources responsibilities and likely feel comfortable in this role, at least most of the time. Yet, there are times when expert assistance would be welcomed or even seems required. The question is: How do you know when you need the help of an expert? Going it alone Among the various HR responsibilities, several … [Read more...] about When to call an HR expert for help
Workplace issues complicated by combinations
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen The challenge of government regulation for owners and managers is tough enough, but it can often be increased when multiple issues are overlaid to create something even worse. I had a client who faced a good example. The office had an employee who was personally offensive. Combined with his poor hygiene, he was often inappropriate and even creepy. Not … [Read more...] about Workplace issues complicated by combinations